Breathing Exercises vs. Meditation: Which Is Right for Me?

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Breathing is one of those beautiful things that we all share – even plants breathe. In fact, breathing is such an important part of who we are that it even impacts how we feel, physically, mentally, and spiritually. That’s why so many mindfulness practices, including breathwork and meditation, place so much emphasis on the breath. By modulating it (retaining inhalations, deepening exhalations, breathing more quickly, etc.), the breath has the ability to deeply influence our lives.

Once you recognize just how powerful breathing is, it’s natural to want to explore breathing exercises so that you can have a personal experience with them. The question is, then, which mindful breathing path do you choose: Breathing Exercises or Meditation?

While it’s easy to believe that breathing exercises and meditation are virtually the same, there are nuances to both practices that make them vastly different. Sure, you can pick one randomly and see how it goes, but it’s important to remember that the experience you have with your breathing practice will influence how much you decide to practice in the future. Knowing just how many benefits mindful breathing can have, finding a practice you can be consistent with is essential for really experiencing the positive effects and shifts you’re after.

What’s The Real Difference Between Breathwork Vs. Meditation?

First of all, both breathwork and meditation offer incredible benefits. Because both practices teach you how to be more mindful and conscious of your breath, they offer many of the same benefits. The difference between breathwork and meditation really is the approach – a thirty-minute meditation session is going to look and feel quite a bit different from most thirty-minute breathwork sessions. This difference is what makes some people “meditators” and other people… just happy to be getting all of the powerful benefits without ever needing to become a “meditator.”

Curious as to which type of mindfulness practice is right for you?

Let’s look at a typical meditation practice more closely…

3 Steps to Mindfulness Through Meditation

While there’s a plentitude of meditation styles (just as there are loads of different breathing exercises and techniques to practice), the overarching look and feel of a meditation session is the same. In order to find mindfulness (and reap all of the benefits) through a meditation session you’ll need to:

Sit correctly on the floor. This typically means cross-legged, spine straight, armpits slightly puffed, chin level, and the crown of your head energized. A lot of your meditation practice is getting this seat just right. And, as you’ll quickly notice, many of the instructions as to how to sit for meditation are esoteric, referring to energetic alignment, stacking of chakras, opening of energy centers, and visualizations of vibrations pulsing throughout and around your body
Meditate. While there are guided meditations that can help your mind focus, most of a meditation practice is up to you. Finding tools for resisting the urge to give in to a racing mind (or quit altogether) is part of the practice. And, unlike breathwork, meditation asks you to become an observer to your breath and its natural patterns. Rather than manipulating it like you do in breathwork, you simply let it (and everything else) be.
Process and repeat. A lot of people have a strong dislike for meditation because it can bring up a lot of negative feelings and thoughts. Some of these negative thoughts actually surround the meditation practice itself – because it’s difficult, you’re left feeling like you failed, like you need to be “better” in order to do it “correctly.” Meditation asks you to process everything that comes up and then to come back to the practice again and again, somewhat like a “purification” process that can take years of dedication to finally feel at ease during a session.

Some people are natural meditators. They’re attracted to this kind of mental endurance, as well as the ancient traditions and teaching lineages that have carried on the practices for centuries.

Of course, some people really aren’t into meditation.

Whether they’ve tried it in the past or are just turned off by the more formal ceremonies around the practice, certain people simply never want to practice meditation – ever.

So, where does that leave them?

Is mindfulness and all of the benefits of breathing exercises totally unattainable?

Hell no.

Becoming An Active Participant: 11 (Good) Reasons Why Breathwork Is More Approachable – And Better Than Meditation

One of the reasons why people so often find meditation boring is because they’re required to remove themselves from the experience, becoming a passive observer instead of an active participant. Breathwork, on the other hand, is completely different from meditation because, while you’re still mindful, you’re actually participating in what’s going on. While a sixty-minute meditation session could take years to prepare for (or simply feel like total torture), everybody can participate in a sixty-minute breathwork session – no fancy prep, no tortuous boredom, no feeling like a total failure.

When you practice breathing exercises, your mind isn’t left to fend for itself, fighting off thoughts while simultaneously being angry at those thoughts. Instead, breathwork keeps your mind focused and occupied so that it can actually relax. The real reason why so many people enjoy breathwork sessions more than meditation sessions is because they’re actually fun – and the results are immediate.

Here are eleven more reasons why the majority of people will benefit more from breathwork vs. meditation:

Breathwork sessions are less overwhelming. Meditation sessions are typically uncomfortable and frustrating for most people, especially when they’re first starting out. While there are a lot of “what-do-I-do-now” moments in meditation, breathwork sessions are specific and guided, which means you feel more confident and comfortable as you practice.
Practicing breathing exercises is more enjoyable than meditating. Meditation takes time to learn and even more time to feel comfortable. For most people, it takes hours and hours of dedication to even begin receiving the benefits of meditation. Breathwork, on the other hand, is more approachable. Not only are breathing exercises themselves easier to understand and practice, but the effects are almost always immediate. And because the majority of people find breathing exercises fun, they’ll actually practice more consistently, which means the benefits become even more profound.
Breathwork provides immediate benefits. After completing a lengthy meditation session, most people will feel uncomfortable or even irritable, especially if they’re just beginning to learn a style of meditation. Breathing exercises, on the other hand, almost instantly leave people feeling good. Whether super energized, incredibly relaxed, or just wonderfully light and free, breathwork typically gives you instant positive feedback – and that becomes addictive in the best way possible.
Breathwork leaves you feeling more confident and capable than meditation. Breathing exercises are specific and typically easy to follow. While they can take some time to “master”, there really is no wrong way to practice them. Meditation, on the other hand, typically comes with a laundry list of rules. Because of this, oftentimes meditation makes people feel like they’re doing something wrong or failing – it’s hard to know what’s right and wrong in meditation. Breathwork, then, is like meditation’s wild and rebellious cousin. While it leaves more room for freedom (lie down, sit up, listen to music, etc.), its specificity for how to breathe makes you feel like you’re doing it right – and that confidence is what keeps you coming back for more.
Breathing exercises have even more physical health benefits than meditation. While meditation’s gift is mindfulness, breathwork offers even more because in learning how to manipulate and change the breath you actually give your lungs and diaphragm a legitimate workout. Breathwork has been proven to improve the way respiratory and circulatory systems function, giving you stronger lungs. (Many high-performing athletes choose breathwork over meditation because it can actually help them compete at higher levels by improving their physical endurance.)
Practicing breathing exercises can repattern bad breathing habits. While meditation helps you to be more mindful of what is, breathwork actually helps you change what is so that you can feel better and ultimately live up to your full potential. Because the way you breathe is so important to your well-being, correcting bad breathing habits through breathwork practices can have a huge impact on your overall health.
Breathwork gets you high … on endorphins. Sure, there are some breathing exercises that really will make you feel high, but not everyone is looking for that. However, the increase of endorphins that breathwork provides is something everyone can enjoy. If you love that feeling you get after finishing a tough workout or a long run, then you’ll love that you can create that same feeling simply by practicing a short breathwork session. In some cases, people feel the same endorphin rush they feel after working out only better because the mindfulness aspect of breathwork actually helps them get out of their heads even more than just typical exercise.
Breathing exercises address your issues without you even being aware of what’s going on. One of the most difficult things about meditation is that it leaves you wondering what to do with all of your thoughts, feelings, and physical tension. As things come up during a meditation practice, you’re required to face it all head on, fending for yourself while pretending that everything is totally cool. Breathwork, on the other hand, allows your breath to do the dirty work. Learning how to consciously breathe is like learning how to speak a secret language. By sending the breath out “into the wild” during a breathwork session, you let it take care of all sorts of issues, resolving major sticking points without you even needing to know what’s going on.
Breathing exercises don’t require a huge learning curve. As mentioned previously, meditation is a practice that requires a lot of dedication in order for it to start feeling natural – and for you to start really receiving all of the benefits it has to offer. Breathwork, on the other hand, is relatively easy. Even your first session can leave you feeling like you just shifted into a whole new gear.
Breathwork can give you a “trip” without any experimentation. The psychedelic side effects of some breathing practices are real. And, if that’s what you’re looking for, the best part is that you don’t have to do any sketchy experimentation with substances in order to achieve that high.

Breathwork practices won’t leave you feeling bored and uninspired. Guided breathwork sessions are fun – and each one can feel completely new and different. While meditation requires you to come back to the same practice over and over again, breathwork allows for variation, which means you can look forward to trying something new as often as you’d like.

Ready to give breathwork a go? Here are some tips for getting the most out of any breathing session:

5 Ways To Maximize The Benefits Of Breathwork

Find the right source. Because there are so many resources when it comes to breathwork, it’s important to find a source you can trust. This go-to resource for breathing exercises should also help to keep you inspired. The more you connect with the person providing the practice, the more you’ll be ready and willing to come back to the practice again and again.
Plan your practice. If you want to be consistent and successful with your breathwork practice, then you’ll want to plan when you’ll practice, right down to what and where. If planning isn’t your forte, just look one day into the future. For example, before you go to bed, pick the breathwork session you’re going to do tomorrow and write down what time you’re going to practice it.
Hold yourself accountable. Once you’ve made a plan, find a way to be accountable to actually practicing. This might mean simply writing down what you’re planning to do on a calendar, setting an alarm on your phone or computer, or asking a partner or roommate to check in on your progress.
Stay interested. Keeping track of the effects breathwork has on your body and mind will help keep you engaged in your practice. When you realize just how much can shift after a single breathing exercise, you’ll be more interested in keeping the practice going. This is where journaling after a breathwork session really comes into play.
Be consistent. Like anything, being consistent with your breathing exercises is key to feeling all of the positive effects. If you find it difficult to make time for breathwork practice, consider choosing a breathing exercise or short guided breathwork session that only takes a few minutes each day.